Boots were not just a fashion option Wednesday night at Stephens Auditorium — they were a necessity for the knee-deep funk all around.

Everything about the George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars show epitomized funk, from the sound in the room to the smell in the air.

Like the true “Atomic Dog” that he is, Clinton arrived on stage with a 101 Dalmations bedsheet draped over his body (with a hole cut out for his head, of course), along with the traditional funk goggles (for swimming in the funk) and multicolored hair.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Funkadelic. I am not from your planet,” Clinton said, explaining both his attire and music. “Tonight, we’re going to beam you up to the Mothership.”

Clinton was not the only funky dresser. Gary “Starchild” Shider wore a diaper and a hat spelling his name, and other members were dressed in everything from paramilitary gear to stiletto high heels and big hats.

As the All-Stars played, Clinton directed them like an orchestra — raising his hands to take the funk higher, or lowering them to let the crowd sing back their favorite P-Funk anthems.

And sing they did. The crowd enthusiastically belted out the choruses to funk classics such as “Tear the Roof Off (The Mutha Sucker)” and “Atomic Dog.”

At one point, Clinton announced “a word from our sponsor,” and out came “Louie,” on whose bald white head Clinton laid the hands of funk while Louie kicked the words to the P-Funk classic “Booty.”

Louie’s “knockin’ butt” ode to the female posterior had both the crowd and Clinton in stitches, but he never lost the beat or missed a word — truly an epic performance.

The appearance of Clinton’s granddaughter Shonda was also a big surprise. She rapped several times during the show, displaying wit, street knowledge and a propensity for raunchy rhymes.

“I think I got a heavy metal hard-on,” the younger Clinton said during “Hard as Steel,” where she also boasted that she liked her men “a yard or longer” in length.

Another major highlight was Michael “Kid Funkadelic” Hampton’s solo during the epic P-Funk jam “Maggot Brain.”

“Free your mind, and your ass will follow,” Clinton said just before he urged the crowd to kick back and relax.

As the crowd reclined, Hampton’s fingers worked magic on his star-shaped guitar. For at least 10 minutes, the entire audience was held in sonic rapture.

The concert was anything but short. If the crowd was feeling the groove, Clinton kept the band grooving — and for over three hours, the majority in attendance lost control of their feet, hands, and neck as they grooved on and on.

Even when the show was over and Clinton waved goodbye to the crowd, the fans kept yelling and Clinton kept coming back for more.

The third and final encore was a medley of the classic “One Nation Under a Groove” which included some live musical freestyling.

If you like funky music, or even if you recognize some of the Clinton songs which are highly sampled in rap, don’t ever miss the chance to see the Funk created live — you won’t regret it.